Robicelli’s cupcakes and more return to Bay Ridge

November 26, 2013 Heather Chin
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Robicelli’s Bakery is back!

The smell of baking brownies, chocolate chip cookies, and butternut squash halves wafted in the air, greeting the first customers to walk through the door at 9009 Fifth Avenue on Tuesday, November 26—the first day of the bakery’s soft-open.

“It smells amazing,” sighed Lisa Dugan, who came with her two young children to place a cupcake order for Thanksgiving weekend. “I never had them, but have heard such good things that I wanted to try it for our family celebration of Thanksgiving, Hanukkah and three birthdays. E ordered pumpkin, chocolate raspberry—two of everything they have [right now]. Everyone loves cupcakes.”

For many people in Brooklyn and, specifically, Bay Ridge, cupcakes have come to be synonymous with Allison and Matt Robicelli.

The two native southern Brooklynites opened their first shop on Third Avenue in 2008 and have since built a successful business and brand, begun raising two boys, won numerous food and writing awards, and penned a cookbook. Now, they have returned to the neighborhood they call home with a new brick-and-mortar shop that they hope will “democratize dessert,” bridging the divide between quality food and people.

“We fit into the neighborhood well and make a nice community center,” said Allison, who was bustling around the new bakery’s kitchen, checking on the baked goods in the oven while preparing batter for cookies and putting whole blueberries into a pan for blueberry almond coffee cake. “A lot of [potential] places didn’t feel right and we’re big believers in having a place feel like home. Our philosophy is to make good food for everyday working life.”

“This isn’t a block you usually pay attention to but then it finally hit me: Lock Yard [bar] is right here and [the space] is pretty cool,” she explained. “I saw it has a backyard with a fig tree and we have a fig tree in our [home] backyard.”

The new Robicelli’s Bakery is currently having its soft-opening, with a limited variety of baked goods available this week through Thanksgiving Day, and more of the intended full menu available starting December 2.

Soon, the kitchen and display cases, holiday decorations and good luck charms—such as a mixer from Allison’s grandmother, a golden pig, a nutcracker, and more—will also be joined by artwork from local artists, to be displayed on the bright red walls. In the longer term, the Robicellis plan to host culinary events, as well.

“I love the fact that they’ve become this sensation, with people catching on to how great they and their food are,” said Teri Brennan, a photographer and community advocate who has been a fan of the Robicellis for years. “But they are still local and want to feature local artists on their walls. I’m so proud of them.”

Keep up with the latest updates on Robicelli’s Bakery at www.Robicellis.com and https://www.facebook.com/Robicellis.

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